Firefighter has long had burning desire to write

Courtesy of Terry Brody In Terry Brody's novel, a fictional Staten Island firefighter, John Kelly, falls in love with Madison Park, a young Midwestern singer and pop-star whom he rescues.

TRAVIS - Fire Lt. Terry Brody spent much of his first year on the FDNY shuffling from mandatory 24-hour shifts in the firehouse to funerals of his fallen brothers on Staten Island during the dark days after 9/11.

By late 2002, a year had passed and Brody decided to try writing to relieve some of the stress of the previous year. He was looking for something light-hearted and fun to spin into a story.

When a Shakira music video came on the television in the firehouse, he got the idea for his first book, which he just had self-published in paperback.

In Brody's novel, "Rescuing Madison," a fictional Staten Island firefighter, John Kelly, falls in love with Madison Park, a young Midwestern singer and pop-star whom he rescues.

"Madison is at the height of her career, when she suddenly decides she wants the one thing she doesn't have - true love. When a handsome firefighter saves her life, it leads to a fiery romance. But her on-again, off-again boyfriend (and fellow pop star) isn't ready to let her go. Does he really care for Madison, or is he just trying to revive his stalled career?" reads the book-jacket teaser. The cover features a silhouette of a firefighter in full gear.

Brody admitted the book is squarely pitched at romance novel readers and teen-age girls. "There's nothing heady about it. It's short, sweet, and hopefully entertaining," he said of the pocket-size book that he dedicated to his wife, Christine, and 18-month-old daughter, Riley.

The author narrates the story in the first-person. He says that John Kelly's character is a composite of several of his firefighter brothers. He peppers the book with realistic descriptions of firefighters responding to a fire and dialogue filled with firehouse lingo.

Brody, who is assigned to Ladder Co. 128 in Long Island City, Queens, said he's taken a lot of good-natured ribbing from his colleagues. "They break my chops all the time over it," he admitted.

His interest in writing began as a daydreaming student at PS 29 in Castleton Corners, and later at Markham Intermediate School, Graniteville. At the time, his family was living in the Todt Hill Houses. The family later moved to Travis, where his parents, John and Nora Brody, along with his brother and sister, still live.

While a student at Port Richmond High School, the 38-year-old Brody, who now makes his home in Patchogue, L.I., thought of making writing a full-time career. But when weighed against job security and benefits, the FDNY won out.

Brody isn't giving up on writing. He's hoping his book, which started as a screenplay, becomes a teen movie. He has written several screenplays and wrote and produced the short film "Beer, Chocolate or You" which can be seen on the Web site www.minimovie.com. He is currently working on adapting another of his screenplays, a horror-story thriller titled "Adrian of Death" into a novel.

"Rescuing Madison" sells for $9.95 on Brody's Web site, www.rescuingmadison.com, and is also available through amazon.com. He is eager to get feedback from readers. E-mail him at terrybrody@gmail.com.

Diane Lore is a reporter with the Advance Shore editions. Contact her at lore@siadvance.com.